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31st Marine Expeditionary Unit ends operations in Iraq
CAMP RIPPER, Iraq - The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit relinquished the responsibility of providing security and stability in Iraq's western Al Anbar Province to Regimental Combat Team 7 of the 1st Marine Division Feb. 7. The Okinawa-based unit has been in place since mid-October 2004 and was tasked with planning and executing various missions throughout a 33,000 square-mile area of operations, approximately the size of South Carolina. "I don't believe anyone else could have done as good a job," said Maj. Gen. Richard A. Natonski, commanding general, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force. Natonski and Sgt. Maj. Wayne R. Bell, sergeant major of the 1st Marine Division, visited the Marines and Sailors as they transferred responsibility of the area of operations to RCT-7. "This generation of Marines is as good, if not better, than previous generations of Marines," said Bell. "I am proud to have served" with the MEU. The 2,200-member Marine Expeditionary Unit was responsible for a wide range of missions that included assistance and security for Iraq's first free elections, cordon-and-knocks operations against the terrorists, civil affairs missions, Iraqi border security, training of Iraqi Security Forces, security of the Hadithah Dam, as well as other operations needed to further stabilize the area in support of the Interim Iraqi Government. Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, the MEU's ground combat element, fought in the battle for Fallujah alongside the Marines and Sailors of RCT-7 and MEU Service Support Group 31. MSSG-31, the MEU's combat service support element, provided necessary logistical support during the Fallujah operation. Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 265 (Reinforced), the MEU's air combat element, accumulated more than 4,300 flight hours, which included more than 2,000 hours flown during night operations. The squadron transported more than 10,000 personnel and lifted more than 835,000 pounds of cargo throughout the Al Anbar Province, and its AV-8B Harriers supported the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing's aviation missions during the Fallujah battle. The MEU conducted numerous limited-scale raids and cordon-and-knock operations, capturing more than 150 terrorists and seizing more than 60 weapons caches. Countless civil affairs missions were conducted by the detachment from the 4th Civil Affairs Group assigned to the MEU. The detachment conducted more than 250 missions to evaluate and assess infrastructure, engage with the local populace, manage construction projects and identify the medical needs of the Iraqi people. The initiation and management of more than 200 projects that focused on education, heath care, water and sanitation, and roads and bridges construction were further accomplished by the detachment. The civil affairs Marines and Sailors subsequently arranged and coordinated the distribution of more than $2 million worth of donated medical supplies from the Humanitarian Operations Center, Kuwait, to the people of Iraq. The detachment and other elements of the 31st MEU further assisted the Interim Iraqi Government and the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq by distributing voter education materials to the Iraqi people of Al Anbar Province and assisted the Iraqi security forces in providing security for nine polling stations. More than 500 miles of the international border were patrolled, and the points of entry between Iraq, Syria and Jordan were monitored in an effort to stop foreign fighters from crossing the border and to reduce smuggling activities. Marines and Sailors of the MEU trained numerous Iraqi Security Forces including the national police, highway patrol, border police and Iraqi National Guard in their mission to provide Iraq with professional, proficient and competent forces. The hydroelectric dam at Hadithah provides a large portion of Iraq's electrical needs, and elements of the 31st MEU conducted patrols both on the Euphrates River with Small Craft Company and on the shores to ensure the security of the dam. The MEU also patrolled thousands of miles of roadways throughout the province, locating and destroying more than 160 improvised explosive devices and land mines. The force conducted numerous vehicle checkpoints and provided security at abandoned Iraqi ammunition supply points that kept munitions out of the hands of criminals, terrorists and foreign fighters. Throughout their deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Marines and Sailors of the MEU have endured small-arms fire, indirect mortar and rocket fire, rocket-propelled grenades, improvised explosive devices, suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and land mines. The Marines have disrupted and repelled countless attacks on their forces, killing numerous criminals and terrorists in the process. Lost but not forgotten, the Marines and Sailors of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit will always remember and honor the 50 warriors of the MEU who were killed in action during the MEU's tour in Iraq. Additionally, 221 service members of the MEU were wounded in action during this period. "The Marines and Sailors of the 31st MEU have carved their names into the history books," said Col. W. Lee Miller, the MEU's commanding officer. "I could not be any prouder to have led them during Operation Iraqi Freedom and in supporting Iraq's first free elections. The continuous cycles of training in the Asia-Pacific region had prepared us for such an operation and the MEU completed its tasks successfully."
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